Greece seeks more time; Juncker meets with Samaras

ATHENS, Greece 
Greece needs more time to implement tough financial reforms and spending cuts, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras says as he starts the first of a series of top-level European meetings to discuss his debt-ridden country's international bailout.

Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the Eurogroup, the body representing the finance ministers of the 17 countries that use the euro, arrived in Athens Wednesday afternoon to meet with Samaras and his finance minister, Yannis Stournaras. The Greek premier then heads to Berlin later this week to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and on to Paris to see French President Francois Hollande.

Greece is dependent on two international rescue loan packages from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund, which are preventing it from bankruptcy and potentially having to leave the euro.

In return, it has had to impose strict austerity measures, including cuts to salaries and pensions and repeated tax hikes. But Athens has faltered in the speed and effectiveness with which it has implemented the reforms, fuelling impatience by its creditors, notably Germany, which is the single largest contributor to the bailout.

The so-called "troika" of debt inspectors that oversee Greece's bailout program - the European Union, European Central Bank and the IMF - are due in Athens next month to assess and report on how well the country has stuck to the terms of the deal.

Hinging on a favorable report from the troika is a massive (EURO)31.5 billion bailout installment, without which Greece faces a chaotic default on its vast debts and a possible exit from the euro. A Greek exit would destabilize markets and economies around the world as other vulnerable countries in the eurozone are caught up in investor panic.

Speaking to the popular German daily Bild, Samaras said that while Greece needs more time to restart its economy, this did not necessarily mean it needed more funds.

Greece's debt stands at more than (EURO)300 billion ($372 billion), and its economy is struggling through a fifth year of recession with unemployment above 23 percent.

"Let me be very clear: we are not asking for extra money," Samaras was quoted as telling Bild. "We stand by our commitments and the implementation of all requirements. But we must encourage growth, because that reduces the financing gaps."

"All we want is a little `air to breathe' to get the economy going and increase state income," Samaras added, without specifying any timeframe. "More time does not automatically mean more money."

The troika inspectors will also examine Athens' proposals on how to make savings of about (EURO)11.5 billion (about $14.2 billion) in 2013 and 2014 - spending cuts that the government is still working on. Stournaras said earlier this week that the package would be ready within the next two weeks, in time for the troika's visit.

For her part, Merkel downplayed expectations of her Friday meeting with Samaras.

"We will not find solutions on Friday - we will wait for the troika report. Then the decisions will be made," she said during a visit Wednesday to Moldova, German news agency dapd reported.